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School safety will be on Legislature's front burner

Role of weapons in schools debated at joint committee hearing

Tommy Bice, state superintendent of education, addresses a joint meeting of the House and Senate Education Policy Committees at the House Chambers of the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Ala., to discuss the safety of Alabama's public schools on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. (Amanda Sowards | Montgomery Advertiser | Associated Press)

By Dana BeyerleTImes Montgomery Bureau

Published: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 5:42 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 5:56 p.m.

MONTGOMERY — Armed resource officers, better building and event security and mental health screening and treatment were recommended Wednesday at a joint legislative committee hearing on school safety.

Lawmakers vowed action in the 2013 legislative session that begins Feb. 5 in wake of last month’s Sandy Hook Elementary School murders of 20 children and six adults in Connecticut.

“School safety is of paramount importance to us,” state Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indian Springs, said at a joint meeting of House and Senate Education Policy Committees. “We want to ensure this doesn’t happen in this state.

A young man on Dec. 14 opened fire in the Newtown, Conn., school with his mother’s semi-automatic, assault-type rifle. He killed her then 26 in the school before killing himself.

“I’m afraid there’s no way to guarantee that some evil person won’t commit a heinous act,” said Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road. He said funding will be necessary.

Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp, president of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, advocated mental health identification and treatment, armed law enforcement officers, expanding the capital murder statute to include schools and better control over which citizens should have weapons.

“School resource officers are important,” he said. “Unless you have a trained mental health professional, you’re wasting your money. We need to have early intervention. A man in uniform with a gun is a heck of a deterrent, but we need to treat these people. We’re not trying to restrict weapons, but we’re trying to restrict who has them.”

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton advocated a total approach.

“What we’re asking is give the tools to law enforcement and educators to deal with them,” he said. “Control who can be in school … what can be done on school property. Support mental health courts.”

Bice has mandated a review to ensure all 1,500 public schools have updated safety plans. Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, said private schools should be included in the discussions.

The hearing occurred on the day the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center released a report on school violence in 2011. The report concluded that 2 percent of the 20,290 reported violent offenses occurred in schools, and that hands and fists were the predominant weapon.

A gun was used in just 1 percent of the violence, and one homicide occurred in Madison City Schools.

The pros and cons of arming adults in schools were offered by legislators who favor it and law enforcement and school officials who believe only trained police officers should be armed. They’re called school resource officers and currently are present in many of Alabama’s 1,500 public schools.

Bice said armed, non-law enforcement officers, “is not a good solution.”

Reps. Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, and Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, said if resource officers aren’t feasible, local systems should have the option to arm qualified and trained adults.

An exchange between Rich and Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith, a former police chief and president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, highlighted the debate.

“The likelihood of a shooting increases with armed people,” Smith said. “I’m not going to let my granddaughters go to that school.”

Rich said he has a 6-year-old granddaughter. “I would rather my granddaughter be in a school where a trustworthy person had a weapon available,” he said.

“Would they be full time?” asked Smith.

“No,” Rich replied.

“Then they can’t do their job,” Smith said.

“I disagree,” Rich said.

Greer observed, “I hope someone in schools my grandkids attend, some adult, is carrying a pistol. It would make me feel better.”

Marla Vaughn, an elementary school teacher in Valley and president of the Alabama Conference of Educators organization, said teachers don’t want weapons.

“The best option is an armed, uniformed officer,” she said. “Other safety measures are locking all the doors and keeping them locked, teachers carrying walkie-talkies and cellphones.

Henry Mabry, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, said the organization wasn’t notified about or invited to the committee meeting.

Spencer Collier, state director of homeland security, proposed specific training for all law enforcement officers.

Collier said public education for an active shooting includes run, hide and resist. “Escape if you can, hide if you can’t and fight,” he said. “Don’t be passive, be aggressive.”

He said Virtual Alabama, which gives law enforcement officials real-time floor plans of every school and diagrams of their safety measures, should be expanded.

“It’s critical for education across the state that we have things out there to help us,” said Dwight Satterfield, safety and alternative programs supervisor for Decatur City Schools. “What we are missing right now are funds to enact safety measures we would like in our schools.”

<p>MONTGOMERY — Armed resource officers, better building and event security and mental health screening and treatment were recommended Wednesday at a joint legislative committee hearing on school safety.</p><p>Lawmakers vowed action in the 2013 legislative session that begins Feb. 5 in wake of last month's Sandy Hook Elementary School murders of 20 children and six adults in Connecticut.</p><p>“School safety is of paramount importance to us,” state Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indian Springs, said at a joint meeting of House and Senate Education Policy Committees. “We want to ensure this doesn't happen in this state. </p><p>She vowed that information will “not be put in a box.”</p><p>Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, suggested prevention through identification of likely troubled students and mental health treatment.</p><p>A young man on Dec. 14 opened fire in the Newtown, Conn., school with his mother's semi-automatic, assault-type rifle. He killed her then 26 in the school before killing himself.</p><p>“I'm afraid there's no way to guarantee that some evil person won't commit a heinous act,” said Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road. He said funding will be necessary.</p><p>Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp, president of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, advocated mental health identification and treatment, armed law enforcement officers, expanding the capital murder statute to include schools and better control over which citizens should have weapons.</p><p>“School resource officers are important,” he said. “Unless you have a trained mental health professional, you're wasting your money. We need to have early intervention. A man in uniform with a gun is a heck of a deterrent, but we need to treat these people. We're not trying to restrict weapons, but we're trying to restrict who has them.”</p><p>Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton advocated a total approach.</p><p>“What we're asking is give the tools to law enforcement and educators to deal with them,” he said. “Control who can be in school … what can be done on school property. Support mental health courts.”</p><p>Bice has mandated a review to ensure all 1,500 public schools have updated safety plans. Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, said private schools should be included in the discussions.</p><p>The hearing occurred on the day the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center released a report on school violence in 2011. The report concluded that 2 percent of the 20,290 reported violent offenses occurred in schools, and that hands and fists were the predominant weapon.</p><p>A gun was used in just 1 percent of the violence, and one homicide occurred in Madison City Schools.</p><p>The pros and cons of arming adults in schools were offered by legislators who favor it and law enforcement and school officials who believe only trained police officers should be armed. They're called school resource officers and currently are present in many of Alabama's 1,500 public schools.</p><p>Bice said armed, non-law enforcement officers, “is not a good solution.”</p><p>Reps. Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, and Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, said if resource officers aren't feasible, local systems should have the option to arm qualified and trained adults.</p><p>An exchange between Rich and Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith, a former police chief and president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, highlighted the debate.</p><p>“The likelihood of a shooting increases with armed people,” Smith said. “I'm not going to let my granddaughters go to that school.”</p><p>Rich said he has a 6-year-old granddaughter. “I would rather my granddaughter be in a school where a trustworthy person had a weapon available,” he said.</p><p>“Would they be full time?” asked Smith.</p><p>“No,” Rich replied.</p><p>“Then they can't do their job,” Smith said.</p><p>“I disagree,” Rich said.</p><p>Greer observed, “I hope someone in schools my grandkids attend, some adult, is carrying a pistol. It would make me feel better.”</p><p>Marla Vaughn, an elementary school teacher in Valley and president of the Alabama Conference of Educators organization, said teachers don't want weapons.</p><p>“The best option is an armed, uniformed officer,” she said. “Other safety measures are locking all the doors and keeping them locked, teachers carrying walkie-talkies and cellphones.</p><p>Henry Mabry, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, said the organization wasn't notified about or invited to the committee meeting.</p><p>Spencer Collier, state director of homeland security, proposed specific training for all law enforcement officers.</p><p>“Only 27 percent are certified in active shooter training,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is 100 percent.”</p><p>Collier said public education for an active shooting includes run, hide and resist. “Escape if you can, hide if you can't and fight,” he said. “Don't be passive, be aggressive.”</p><p>He said Virtual Alabama, which gives law enforcement officials real-time floor plans of every school and diagrams of their safety measures, should be expanded.</p><p>“It's critical for education across the state that we have things out there to help us,” said Dwight Satterfield, safety and alternative programs supervisor for Decatur City Schools. “What we are missing right now are funds to enact safety measures we would like in our schools.”</p>